DmC – expectation can be a double-edged sword

With DmC’s first reviews now live, Stace Harman plays the first ten levels and finds that while sticks and stones might break his bones, Dante’s still a smart-arse.

Here is a title that rewards investment; Ninja Theory’s tacit acknowledgement is that when it comes to Dante, once is never enough.

Playing on medium difficulty, I reached the tenth of DmC’s 20-level campaign before dying for the first time.

Now, perhaps you believe that the implications of this admission encapsulate your expectations for Ninja Theory’s reboot. However, consider two things: the first is that a game over screen is seldom a prerequisite for an enjoyable experience. The second is that you’re not the only one with preconceived ideas concerning Dante’s return. Based on the first ten levels of DmC, it appears the Cambridge-based team responsible for this reboot has a few expectations of its own.

Ninja Theory’s first and most fundamental expectation is that it won’t only be veteran Devil May Cry players that play DmC. The Devil May Cry fan club is not an exclusive clique and you do not need to have played the previous games in the series in order to get a great deal from Dante’s fifth outing.

For first timers and those whose muscle-memory may have atrophied, DmC should be attempted on either Human or Devil Hunter difficulty levels. This will provide a comfortable challenge and allow you to master a handful of multi-hit combos and enjoy DmC’s modern-day narrative.

It’s fair to say that the series’s narrative history under Capcom has been filled with cheesy one-liners and pantomime performances. However, Ninja Theory excels at producing tightly-directed and well-acted stories and it set a high standard for performance capture in Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

Granted, there’s still a generous handful of gorgonzola smothering DmC’s script, but while character development does not match that of Enslaved, it does produce a number of scenes that feature excellent performances from its cast.

The subtleties of facial expressions and body language enliven its cut-scenes, while the emphatic delivery of even some of its most outrageous lines can provoke a laugh. It’s an interesting story of revenge, betrayal and the insidious demon presence that has permeated every level of society.

Do not disturb

What’s more, some of its most disturbing scenes are sufficiently graphic to elicit a wince or exclamation of disgust; post-DmC, you’ll be less excited by the prospect of a “secret ingredient” in your favourite tasty junk food.

Ninja Theory might have developed DmC to be accessible by everyone, but the developer’s expectation of how seasoned players will approach it looks to be all together more hardcore. It appears to be taken as read that series veterans are going to want to replay both individual levels and the entire game multiple times.

This is evinced in level design that rewards those who revisit earlier stages armed with new weapons and techniques. Areas that were previously inaccessible can be plundered for hidden secrets, items and bonus stages. Meanwhile, the assumption that you’ll want to play through multiple times is most clearly demonstrated by the game’s seven modes and difficulty levels.

I wouldn’t usually spend time listing difficulty levels, but for an important sub-section of DmC’s players this is going to be a key feature, so: Human, Devil Hunter and Nephilim are available from the off and represent the traditional notion of Easy, Normal and Hard. However, with this being a Devil May Cry title, difficulty is more subjective than usual. Nephilim’s description reads: “Enemies are stronger and more challenging. Select this difficulty if you’ve played DmC before and want the full DmC experience.” In other words, veteran players should start here.

Complete the game on any of these three levels to unlock Son of Sparda, which introduces stronger enemies and remixed enemy waves. Complete Son of Sparda and you unlock both Dante Must Die and Heaven or Hell modes. Dante Must Die features the strongest and most extreme waves of enemies, while Heaven or Hell features the added twist of one-hit kills all round. Finally, complete the game on Heaven or Hell mode to gain access to the purist/sadist’s ultimate challenge: Heaven and Hell, in which Dante dies from any one hit, while enemies have full health.

Irrespective of whether you’re an old or new player and what difficulty level you select, Ninja Theory looks to have one final expectation of all of its players: that when it comes to a measure of progress, the positive reinforcement of a multi-faceted score system is universally preferred to the punitive punishment of death.

Points are awarded for style, which takes into account combo variety and is boosted by parrying enemy attacks, last minute evades and killing streaks. Taking damage drops the combat grade significantly and, as winners don’t do drugs, you’re also penalised for using healing items. End of level multipliers are added for the level completion percentage and the length of time taken and a rank from D to SSS is attributed. You might not die too often, but will you be satisfied until you’ve achieved at least an S rank on every level?

Dante has some neat new traversal moves (combining grapple and glide techniques that make me wonder what Ninja Theory could achieve with a Spider-Man licence) but as has long been the case with the series, the combat is the star of the show. His initial weapon-set consists of his sword, Rebellion, and quick firing twin pistols Ebony and Ivory. In the first half of the game, this load-out is bolstered by a handful of additional weapons that bring with them additional abilities, open up new areas and increase the potential for diverse combos.

The pre-defined combos are impressive, but skilled players will delight in creating their own based on each weapon’s unlockable and upgradeable move-set. The potential for seamlessly brutal self-expression is aided by telltale visual cues that can be used to link multiple moves from Dante’s entire arsenal, both on the ground and in the air.

Franchise fans have been vocal about their hopes and fears concerning this reboot, but it seems that the DmC developer also has expectations of its own. For the novice player, Ninja Theory has created an experience that rewards the gradual comprehension and increasingly competent execution of the game’s core mechanics.

However, it’s the game elements that require multiple play-throughs that should serve as a declaration of intent to the experienced anarchist. Here is a title that rewards investment; Ninja Theory’s tacit acknowledgement is that when it comes to Dante, once is never enough.

Latest

Fatshark Games has released a sneak peek video for its upcoming Games Workshop title, Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide. Vermintide is a FPS, co-op action title coming to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and its set during the End Times of the Warhammer universe in the city of Ubersreik. Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide […]

As you know, Xbox Season Pass holders now have early access to the Ascendance DLC Pack bonus weapons for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Now you can watch a trailer for the weapon. The OHM directed energy hybrid weapon can switch between an LMG and Shotgun “on the fly,” and it also includes the OHM-Werewolf […]

March PlayStation Plus titles have popped up on the PS Plus page. Noticed by NeoGAF user skynidas, the titles include: OlliOlli2 (PS4/VITA) Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS4) Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty (PS4) Counterspy (PS4/PS3) Papo & Yo (PS3) Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment (PS3) A notice has also been posted on the EU PS […]

Caffeine creator Dylan Browne has announced the Unreal Engine 4 game will be released on Xbox One. The game will be published through Microsoft’s Indie Program. As previously announced, it is also coming to PC and and now PlayStation 4. Caffeine is a sci-fi horror game which stars a young boy who has been abandoned […]

Much like the Xbox One Preview program, starting early this month, invites for the Xbox 360 Preview program will start rolling out. Select invitees will be able to join program directly from their Xbox 360. A special Xbox Live message will be sent, directing users to head over to their Settings page. Further instructions are […]

Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski is said to be in early negotiations to direct the Gran Turismo film. This is according to the Hollywood Reporter, which states Michael De Luca is still slated as one of the producers alongside Matt Milam, Dana Brunetti, Josh Bratman, DeVon Franklin and Elizabeth Cantillon. Plot details are still unknown […]

The Trigger, which is is the fifth add-on pack for Alien: Isolation, is available to download from today. In it, players will “compete against the clock” across three new maps in Survivor Mode. Set before the events of the main game, players step into the shoes of Sevastopol Station’s Ricardo who will do what he […]

Sony has announced the HBO Go app will be made available for download later today for PlayStation 4. The app works just like the PS version. Now you can watch True Detective, Game of Thrones, Veep and more through your console. Information on installation is available through the PS Blog.

Bethesda has announced a beta for Creation Kit update 1.9.33, lifts the 100MB size restriction for Skyrim mod makers. The beta is for both Skyrim’s PC launcher and the Creation Kit which will allow for unlimited file sizes. Here are the notes: Creation Kit 1.9.33 Update Creation Kit now supports unlimited file sizes for mods […]

Mad Max from Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios has been given a September release date, along with the new of a last-gen cancellation. The axing of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were announced via Game Informer. Mad Max is the magazine’s featured game for the April issue. Avalanche, according GI, nixed development on […]

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain will be released in September, according to an IGN Italy video, which also features Hideo Kojima discussing “With Metal Gear Solid 5, I’m finally “closing the loop” on the Metal Gear saga. The video has since been removed, but an image cap of the date is posted above. […]

Nintendo has issued a 3DS firmware update which fixes a web browser exploit that was being used to run pirated Game Boy Color ROMs since January as well as inject code within downloadable games. Another piece of code, per Eurogamer, changed the setting on the handheld to make it region-free. The exploit was only available […]

The latest footage from Epic’s new Unreal Tournament has surfaced, and it shows off the game’s first high-textured map which is called Outpost 23. As you can see from Zaccubus’ video, its the same are which Epic showed in the flythrough video from last year, only with updated textures and some new areas outside. The […]

The final add-on for Sunset Overdrive, Dawn of the Rise of the Fallen Machines, will be released in April. On April 1 to be exact. No, that’s not an April Fool’s joke from Insomniac Games either. Below, you can watch a fist-look at the new story, area, and traversal mechanic.

Heroes of the Storm will be playable at EGX Rezzed. This will be the first UK public hands-on with the online team brawler. Blizzard will also host giveaways and friendly tournaments at its stand. Tickets for all three days of Rezzed are still available, and you can purchase a pass through the official website. EGX […]

Data Pack 4 for Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 has been dated, and it updates the game with Winter Transfers, new player faces, and additional stadiums. The latest free update contains real-time player transfers made within the January window, and player ratings have also been updated. Additionally, a number of improved likenesses to key players will […]

Notes for upcoming Patch 5 for Dragon Age: Inquisition have been posted, noting improvements to gameplay and stability, and the new features outlined back in early February. Along with the new party storage system added to the Undercroft at Skyhold, players also have the ability to adjust the size of subtitles. Below you will find […]

Warner Bros. has announced free-to-play mobile titles spanning its DC Comics, Mortal Kombat and Game of Thrones properties. The following five new games under development are: Mortal Kombat X from NetherRealm Studios: The game blends fighting and card collection with cinematic gameplay and Fatalities. Play as both classic and fighters, and if you own the […]

We have ten Wrath of the Gods Founders Packs to giveaway for new RPG Skyforge, worth over $70. All you need to do to win a Wrath of the Gods pack is enter your details in the form below and we’ll pick 10 winners at random on Thursday, March 5, after 3pm GMT. Skyforge is […]

PC gaming is alive and well. In fact, it’s expected to be worth $35 billion by 2018. According to game-business group Open Gaming Alliance, the PC gaming industry is expected to grow beyond its current $26 billion worth and to a massive $35 billion by the year 2018. The information is based on data collected […]

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has received a new patch that gives season pass holders early access to a new weapon and everyone else a myriad of fixes and additions. The patch went live today on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, without any official notes. CharlieIntel reports that among the new additions is the new […]

Destiny’s end game can be a bit obtuse to those not used to MMO games. Fear not, we’ve got a few quick tips on how to crack it. Arekkz Gaming has a video for new players of Destiny or those who are looking to brush up on their knowledge of the game. Today’s theme is […]

Following fan outrage over lack of local co-op support for the PC version of Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Capcom has now added it. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 now officially supports split-screen local co-op in both campaign and raid mode. The update is currently in beta on Steam, but anyone can opt-in to try it. Capcom […]

Destiny’s latest glitch spawns infinite Thralls to help fuel your bounty hunting and loot lust. The glitch is simple to replicate. You’ll need to start The Dark Within mission on Earth, on any difficulty. Then follow the steps in the video below (Via DualShockers) to get to an area out of the map. You’ll then […]

DICE has released the Winter Patch for Battlefield 4. The patch brings an eSports focus with new game mode Squad Obliteration and plenty more. Battlefield 4 Winter Patch is now live on all platforms. It’s just over 400MB on PC and 1.34GB on consoles. The patch adds new game mode Squad Obliteration and more customisation […]

Vive manufacturer HTC said that it hopes to see Valve games, including Half-Life, on the virtual reality headset. Speaking to the BBC, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang said that Valve is keen on having its games available on the VR headset. “I think Valve’s best game is Dota, right, and Portal and [Team Fortress] and I […]

If you’re looking to buy a fell set of armour for your character in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate but keep falling short on Zenny, this video will show you an easy way to make lots of it. Arekkz Gaming has a very handy tip for all Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate players: how to make Zenny […]

Microsoft is giving everyone the ability to claim their free Xbox One Games with Gold titles from their Xbox 360 console, even without owning an Xbox One. If you don’t yet own an Xbox One and want to make sure you don’t miss out on all those free Games with Gold games, you’ll be pleased […]

Bungie has reset the weekly cap of Crucible and Vanguard marks and added new Heroic and Nightfall strikes, now with burn. From now until next Tuesday, the weekly Heroic strike will be The Devil’s Lair with Heroic and Lightswitch modifiers. As for the Nightfall, you’ll be fighting Sepiks Prime with the help of Arc burn. […]

61 Comments

I’m so pumped for this game and I’m so tired of reading all the shit thrown at the game and Ninja Theory from so called “fans” of the series.

TWO FREAKIN’ YEARS this has been going on. Every comments section descending into a shit-storm.

When DmC was announced in 2010, my reaction was the same as most. The character design was so far removed from the classic look that I didn’t know what to make of it at all. At the time, Ninja Theory had put out “Heavenly Sword”, which wasn’t great, and “Enslaved” hadn’t been released yet. “Enslaved” was very good, but the combat side of things… Weak. Simple. Definitely not what you’d expect from a “Devil May Cry” game.

So I was concerned that Ninja Theory was going to drop the ball.

Then the previews arrived. Then the screenshots and videos. The first actual footage of combat was released in December 2011, and it looked slick. It looked WAY more in-depth than anything Ninja Theory had put out before.

Previews from respected publications like GamesTM and EDGE made a point of explaining the Angel/Demon controls and gave positive impression. Everything was building toward a positive buzz and all the concerns I had melted away.

“Noisia” and “Combichrist” were announced to be providing the soundtrack. I got hands on with the game at the Eurogamer Expo.

Impressed, I was!

Public demo was released on Xbox Live. I must’ve played this thing 50 times already.

SOLD!

I’ve played all the “Devil May Cry” games, I own the originals, I own the HD collection. I own the anime series on DVD. I recently almost spunked a silly amount of money on the Revoltech Dante figure.

At this point, “Devil May Cry 4″ is my favourite hack n’ slash of this gen.

And, based on all the above, I cannot wait for next week. It’s so clear to me right now that Ninja Theory has delivered. And I just do not understand where the INSANE hatred comes from.

2 dodges, no lock-on, enemies that force you to fight them with one particular weapon only, and dialogue that basically sounds like it was written by someone trying to impress grade schoolers. That’s where the hatred comes from. Sure, the look is awful and DINO’s voice actor sounds like he was just woken up to do his voice acting, but if the gameplay had been solid, I would have accepted it. The gameplay is very much lacking. I actually got bored in the middle of the level in the demo. The boss battle was a bit fun and I liked the design of the boss, but the dialogue during it ruined that experience beyond repair.

Fuck Ninja Theory and fuck this game. I can’t wait for it to come out so it can underperform (I never said it will flop. Sadly, it’ll probably sell at least 500-600,000 worldwide, which is below Capcom’s expectations, but certainly what a lot of companies wish their games would sell), and then we can never hear about it again. If it has to be the end of the Devil May Cry series, then so be it.

I loved the demo and i can not wait to finally get my hands on the finished product. It drives me crazy. No other game this year has my attention as much as DmC: Devil May Cry. Maaaaybe i even get the Special Edition, i don’t know. If the DRM is not annoying, i’ll probably get it on PC too.

@6 not only that but you can invert the juggle and pull people up from the air. By that I mean…

1) You use a launcher to throw an enemy up in the air
2) You jump and start unleashing air combos
3) Enemies start pooling beneath you to wait for you to come back down
4) But you can hook enemies up from the ground into the air to batter them too.
5) Chain that with your lift move to grapple between flying enemies and you can stay in the air for a very long time. It’s nuts

Your post almost inspired me to express my hatred of Combichrist after a show we played with them in back in 2006, but I’ll refrain from bringing up that story again. But they’re fucking spoiled bitches.

@10 – Well, the way you were describing it, step-by-step, was as if no one had ever experienced it before. Otherwise, I figure you would have said something like, “You know how you can air juggle multiple enemies with the grab in Bayonetta and DMC4? You can do that here too. And it’s easier than ever” or something to that effect.

@12 – It was my old band. My current band is basically what happens when a bunch of people into punk decide to tune down to B and play black metal. I’m the singer, since I’m usually the most outspoken, obnoxious person I know.

We were supposed to open for Combichrist and the Genitorturers one night at what used to called Lamours in Brooklyn. Famous club. It’s where Carnivore/Type O Negative and Biohazard and all those sort of bands came from. They had changed it to Brooklyn Music Terminal or something like that, but we all still called it Lamours.

Anyway, it’s 8. The door were supposed to open, but the Genitorturers were having problems with their guitar sound. So they told the club to keep the doors shut for another half hour so they could finish up and then Combichrist could do whatever they needed to do.

Well, in the middle of the guitar problems, one of the guys just walks up to the front of the stage and says that they have to get their soundcheck now or they’re going to leave. We and the other opening bands thought they were kidding. They get told to wait a few minutes. The guy says, “No soundcheck, no play,” and they just up and leave.

The next day, they made a whole big thing online about how the club should have refunded all their fans, even though they were the ones who chose to skip out. And that the club was being disrespectful to them because the club only cared about metal bands. They made it this huge industrial vs. metal bullshit and even brought up the fact that the only other industrial band of the evening, one of the other openers, got taken off the bill.

What they didn’t mention is that we all had to sell tickets for the show and that band sold 8 of them, which was far below the minimum every band had to sell. Any one of us could have been taken off the bill if we didn’t get enough people to come.

I just didn’t like that they basically screwed the people who came to see them play and then made it out like it was the club’s fault and got all the industrial fans to do shit like hack the club’s website.

I mean, for me, it was a great show. The Genitorturers were nice enough to let us use their lighting, I introduced my lesbian then-guitarist to her first groupie experience, I was invited to be part of the Gentorturers stage show (which was both a good and a bad experience, since it was during my favorite song, so I didn’t get to hear it much) and we got a good response, but it really rubbed me the wrong way that they’d just say, “Fuck the show” because they didn’t want to wait a couple minutes to get their soundcheck.

No, this wouldn’t be the first game to have a band I don’t like as part of the soundtrack. Usually there’s volume controls in most games, so that’s not usually a factor. The whole first half of Brutal Legend had a lot of really shitty hardrock bands as part of the soundtrack that usually require a lot of alcohol for me to not hate (Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages” is one of my least favorite songs ever), but I just turned those songs off in favor of the songs I did like.

My hate for the game comes from the things I said in…#2.

Believe it or not, I was actually a bit more positive about the game when it was supposed to be a prequel to the series proper, until I started seeing how much of the canon they were getting wrong.

I don’t remember them ever saying that it’s going to be a prequel. And fuck the canon, seriously. I don’t understand why people act like it’s something holy, Capcom sure as hell does not. Look at the canon of Resident Evil for example.

@17 – There’s an old interview they did on the Playstation blog, back when it was first announced, that said it was going to be a prequel. They were asked if they were going to reboot any other characters besides Dante and they said they weren’t because it had to fit into the continuity and the game would show how Dante became the Dante we saw in DMC3.

Then after getting enough things wrong, the fan outcry got louder, and they finally changed it around to the parallel universe it supposedly is now.

@18 – Thanks. I’ll check you all out. We have almost all of our stuff available for free download at the moment (one of our songs was too big to fit on the site, but we have it up on Youtube for people to hear), but I’m working on the artwork for the physical version which we’re looking to release in like March or something, right now.

I enjoyed the demo. I think the game is flashy, enjoyable and funny. I think the combat looks amazing in action, with a lot of scope for personal experimentation.

But…

I do know for a fact that some mechanics in the game as they currently stand are completely broken – jump cancelling is especially bad. If you can infinitely spamjumpslash an enemy into submission, there’s an inherent problem with the design.

There are niggles with the system that *really* have to be fixed. Pretending they don’t exist is just naive, no matter how great everything else about the game is.

@22 – It was in 2010 and websites had been reporting it as a reboot, but in that interview, I remember he said something along the lines of, “It’s not a total departure. The story will gel with most of what you already know.”

But it was a whole bunch of things they got wrong that made people get pissed off. Like the hair being black because it hadn’t turned white yet and hadn’t embraced his demon side. That directly contradicts what DMC1 established, since there was a picture of both Dante and Virgil as kids in his locket, both with white hair. If he had simply been dying his hair black, that would have been acceptable, because kids do that. Hell, I dyed my hair black for about ten years. And then the whole thing with his mother really being an angel and it eventually became clear that they didn’t know the franchise enough or were retconning too much, so it became the alternate universe story it is now.

It is also possible to SSS the boss in the demo using just one weapon, spamming the same attack over and over. This shows an inherent problem with the game’s mechanics. Can’t find the video right now though, but I’ll add it if I find the link later.

Let’s not forgot that I’m a huge defender of this game and have been a supporter of it since day one. I’m not going to ignore issues with it that are staring me right in the face though.

As always people miss the main problem with the new game the
combat is average running at 30 fps.
We are reaching the end of this console generation.
Games should be running and playing at their best right now.
DMC 4 60 fps.
DMC 3 60 fps.
DMC reboot 30 fps.
That is whats wrong.
The game may be amazing but if the heart and soul of a DMC game the combat isn’t as good as the old games the game has failed as a DMC game.
That has always been what people were upset about.
When a new studio make a new game in a franchise it should
always make sure to get the basic gameplay right.
Look at halo 4 343 industries using a different engine from the old games got the combat right.
If they didn’t people would be all over them.
If the mp of the next cod game ran 30 fps reviewers
would criticize them for it and people would be very upset.
Because it would not play as well as the other games in the series.
That is the main problem with the new game it does not play as well as the other game in the franchise.

So 60 FPS is the heart and soul of the series. Could’ve fooled me, i remember DMC 1 having terrible PAL Version and running slowier than the NTSC Version. Didn’t bother me back then. Guess i never was a DMC Fan to begin with.

#30 You’ve just proven how much you guys don’t even know about hardware. I’m not pointing this at you in specific, but the masses:

People, please,

the frame rates don’t belong to any special category, or what not, it’s not 30, or 60…

It can be 12, 47, 96, etc..

If you’re upset about a game’s performance (which is even multi platform, and not optimized for a single piece of hardware!), don’t always bash the developer from the get go. Look around you, and notice, that there is hardware out there that can handle games way better.

We’ve had Halo ODST back in the days with a resolution lower then 640×480, and that was like when, 2009? Your current hardware wasn’t even closely enough even back then not to mention “the now”.

And this is what i mean when i say that DMC “Fans” are never satisfied.

“Dante doesn’t smoke! You got it all wrong, Dante not smoking was the heart and soul of the series!”
“He only smoked in the teaser.”
“What do i care, i only watched the teaser, also Dante has white hair and doesn’t look like that at all, he looks an emo-fag, that’s the heart and soul of the series.”
“His hair turns white when you use devil mode. Also Capcom said they wanted a different Dante and liked our version a lot.”
“Well fuck that, why can’t i have white hair all the time? Also Dante uses more than one weapon, that’s the heart and soul of the series.”
“We have more than one weapon.”
“Yeah, well, still not enough, also you changed his character, his character was the heart and soul of the series.”
“No, we didn’t, he just swears more.”
“Well, fuck swearing, that’s childish also the combat is not deep enough. Combat was the heart and soul of the series!”
“We made it deeper. I hope that’s enough.”
“No it isn’t. Also it’s not 60 FSP … it is FSP, isn’t it? I don’t know what that means, but the previous game had that and that was the heart and soul of the series!”
“We can’t change that, we’ve gotten used to working the with Unreal Engine, starting from scratch for a few more FPS would be insane, so we made it look like it runs smoother than it actually does, but if you’re bothered by that, you can still play the PC Version.”
“Well, no. I want to have 60 F-Stuff on consoles, also where is the gothic architecture, that was the heart and soul of the game!”
“It’s gone, we made it more modern european, i also hope you like Limbo.”
“I don’t care, the previous games didn’t have that, what’s the point of this new stuff anyway? Playing the same thing over and over again was the heart and soul of the series. Also what’s up with the music, Dubstep? Are you retarded? The music in the previous games was the heart and soul of the series.”
“Yeah, we hired two bands for the music, one for Rock/Metal and one for Dubstep.”
“Don’t like that, it’s different. Also you fucked up the holy canon of DMC, that’s the heart and soul of the series.”
“Yeah, we thought it would be better to start from scratch with the story, i mean what’s the point of a reboot if you’re doing the same thing again?”
“… Yeah, well, i don’t like that at all, also Dante doesn’t smoke!”

There appears to be an inherent misunderstanding when it comes to framerate.

30fps doesnt mean DmC plays at half speed. Its very simple.

I cant be bothered to explain it though, as its akin to smashing one’s own head against a brick wall.

This game will walk away with a metacritic score of 85+. This will be based on well reasoned, well written reviews from people employed to critique the products objectively. Which is why reading well produced copy will always be more important than the user score.

Remember that whole Feminine Frequency thing, and how the “gamer” audience got dragged through the mud? That is the level we are at. Its that level of stupid.

“Gamers” really are a lame bunch, it would seem. Possibly the loudest, vocal minority that exists on the internet. Its a shame, really. Its a shame that constructive criticism has given way to ill informed to rabble.

“the frame rates don’t belong to any special category, or what not, it’s not 30, or 60…

It can be 12, 47, 96, etc..”

@34, the actual frame rate on a 60Hz screen is always a factor of 60 (60, 30, 20, 15, etc). Anything else will tear up, or get skipped altogether (at very high software fps), while the actual display rate remains a factor of 60.

So… does this mean that when DmC is made public, we will be seeing extreme combo videos where the player earns a few points at a time, jump cancelling for 45 minutes to achieve a middling score on the leaderboards?

@45 yeah but it’s like quick-scoping isn’t it? If you want cheap, souless insta-head shots then that’s fine, why would you ruin your own experience by exploiting a glitch? That’s like pissing all over yourself isn’t it?

I couldn’t get it to work, so it’s maybe been patched out. That demo build was old bear in mind, like a year old – regardless of Tameem saying it was the final code. I can’t get it to work, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

@48 I think the cloud is from “enemy step”, basically jumping off the enemy that’s infront/below you.

But maybe they’ve tweaked that too?

Heck, this stuff could change post launch also. With patches.

I still think the “broken mechanics” that people try to blast the game over are far from exciting. When this game hits, I fully expect to see MENTAL videos hitting YouTube, with all kinds of elaborate combo mix-ups. Much like what we had with previous DMC titles, and Capcom’s own fighting games.

@49 I think people need to be careful in calling mechanics ‘broken’ – in DmC and in all games – as there’s a difference here. People say quick-scoping is a broken element of the game. It’s not, it’s an exploit.

Now, exploits to me should still be ironed out as they unbalance a game. But said mechanics aren’t broken, they’e simply being used in ways unintended by the developer. That jump thing isn’t broken, someone’s found an exploit.

But yes, patches can remove it, if it persists.

Agree with you there btw, Capcom do fighting games so well. Big Street Fighter fan (hate to say I’m a Ken player though…or Elena if she’s in the game)

PlayStation Now will expand to the tune of five new games this month. The March PS Now additions are Infamous 2, Twisted Metal, R-Type Dimensions, Alone in the Dark: Inferno and Operation Flashpoint: Red River. PS Now will set you back $20 per month or $45 for a three month subscription. It offers all you […]

Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster hits PS4 in May. The PS4 release date for Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster is May 12 in North America and May 15 in Europe. Gematsu reports a special pre-order bonus calendar with art by Yoshitaka Amano is available through the Square Enix Store and participating retailers. In Europe, pre-ordering […]

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare players can now aspire to the ranks of Grand Master Prestige. Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer Games will add 15 more Prestige levels to the latest Call of Duty, giving players at max XP a chance to grow even further. According to the Sledgehammer Games blog, when you enter Master level […]

Destiny’s toughest challenge gets even nastier if you throw Creepers into the mix. The ultimate Destiny challenge – for now – is the Crota’s End raid. Taking place in an alternate dimension accessed through the Hellmouth on the Moon, the Raid takes Guardians through a pit of darkness to the resting place of Crota himself. […]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D protagonist Shulk is the Heir to the Monado, his distinctive red sword. Let this trailer fill you in on what that means. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D releases for New 3DS on April 2 in Europe and April 10 in North America. As well as all the content of the Wii original, it has […]

The Elder Scrolls: Total War is a terrific mod allowing you get get intimately involved with the history of Bethesda’s detailed fantasy universe. The first release of The Elder Scrolls: Total War dropped on the weekend, giving players their first chance to try out LoRdNazgu1‘s creation. This version runs from 3E 427 to 4E 45, […]

Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 is out now. Yes, we’re surprised too. You can grab Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 on Steam for $8. Developer Scott Cawthon really doesn’t mess about; the game was only announced in early January. Here’s the blurb: Thirty years after Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza closed it’s doors, the events that took […]

EVE Online is a hotbed of villainy, espionage and backstabbing, but one intrepid corporate thief has made waves even in this setting. The thing about EVE Online is that it’s a true sandbox: the game’s rules are very loose, and allow players to make careers out of theft, piracy, assassination and espionage in addition to […]

Nintendo of America has announced a fresh supply of the difficult to find Marth Amiibo. The Marth Amiibo will be back in stock in the US in late April, the platform holder said on Twitter today. Planning to pick up Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. and don’t have a Marth amiibo? More are headed to stores in […]

Skyrim has been granted a new beta update – more than three years after launch! – to improve the experience for modders and those who use them. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim released in November 2011. I think that’s worth noting before we discuss the beta update that dropped today, even as Bethesda is working […]

Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is very serious business so please enjoy this very serious trailer. “Return to the dicey world of Knights of Pen & Paper for a new turn-based adventure, where players get to take on the role of players, and also of the game’s encounter-designing, rules-laywering GM in a fully customizable […]

Amplitude may have been delayed but we still get something this March: a fine new gameplay trailer. Amplitude is coming to PlayStation 3 and PS4 sometime in northern summer. It’s a reprisal of Harmonix’s classic rhythm action game, a forerunner to its later efforts with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and was crowdfunded. Update: Turns […]

DayZ creator Dean “Rocket” Hall has dropped the first vague details of his new game project. “I do not want to make safe games. I do not want to make games the way we have been making them. What if the most experienced video game staff in the world collaborated on the most esoteric and […]

AMD has confirmed what most Battlefield fans thought. Battlefield Hardline will indeed support Mantle. Battlefield Hardline will support Mantle, AMD has confirmed. Some players weren’t sure whether the retail version of the game will support AMD’s API, due to its absence from the recent PC beta. AMD did not say whether the feature will be […]

Unreal Engine 4 is a pretty versatile bit of tech, as this new sizzle reel shows. As one of the more ubiquitous engines, Unreal will be on show at GDC this week. Developer Epic produced the following sizzle reel to quickly demonstrate what it can do – cutting edge graphics (there are very few games […]

The latest Survarium patch has readjusted the value of experience and reputation points gained and removed the limit to the maximum amount of ammo you can use in combat. Survarium developer Vostok Games has released patch 0.27a to the public, having recently finished testing it. The patch is a major one and covers changes to […]

Bloodborne is so close you can almost smell its coppery tang on the wind – and also you can watch commercials for it. Bloodborne arrives on PS4 at the end of this month (March 24 North America, March 25 Europe, March 27 UK) so excitement is starting to build. Sony isn’t helping keep us calm […]

Blizzard will soon allow World of Warcraft players to exchange in-game gold for game time and vice versa. Blizzard has announced a new system that will launch soon for World of Warcraft. The system is called WoW Token. Using this system, players will be able to buy game time using in-game gold. Here’s how it […]

Remember 3D Realms’ Bombshell? The isometric ARPG that was announced last year? Well, it’s back, and we get to see gameplay footage. The game stars Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison, a bomb technician turned mercenary with a mechanical arm. She will embark on a quest to rescue the president and save Earth, all while shooting aliens. The […]

Epic Games has made Unreal Engine 4 available for anyone to download and use, for free. Unreal Engine 4 is now free. Anyone can download it and start using it, the developer announced today in a blog post. The download features the the full set of tools used by Epic, and includes 100% of the […]

The winner of the European round of the Call of Duty Championship has been announced. This past weekend, 28 teams representing UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, the rest of Europe and Middle East attended the final of the European round of the Call of Duty Championship. UK team Epsilon eSports was crowned […]

GOG.com is bringing back its Insomnia sale event with even more games. GOG’s Insomnia sale is back with double the amount of games. This year, there will be two sets of games available at once. The sets are seasoned classics and fresh new titles. Each set will feature games with discounts up to 90% off, […]

2K will be shutting down the servers for NBA 2K14 this month. The publisher revealed yesterday that online servers for NBA 2K14 will be turned offline on March 31. “You will no longer be able to play ranked games/online association,” reads the announcement. NBA 2K14 relied on online servers to store save files for MyCareer […]

A Dead or Alive tournament organiser has suggested a soft ban on some of the game’s “over-sexualised” costumes, and not everyone is happy. Tournament organiser “The HuBBs” took to the FreeStepDodge forums to suggest a list of rules that other offline tournaments can follow. The list goes over stages, characters, moves, which is certainly in […]

Bungie hosted an open house Q&A session with the community last week and lots of exciting news have come out of it. Arekkz Gaming has gathered all the information that came out of Bungie’s open house Q&A in one handy video. The list is massive, going over Exotic weapon balance, upcoming events, PVE, Crucible rewards, […]

Developers behind space exploration games Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen will honour the memory of Leonard Nimoy through in-game memorials. The develops of both games have confirmed separately that in-game memorials will be established to honour the memory of the late Star Trek actor, Leonard Nimoy, famous for playing Spock. Elite: Dangerous executive producer Michael […]

Amazon’s latest PlayStation 4 deal is not one to miss. With purchase of a PlayStation 4 console from Amazon in the US, the online retailer will throw in digital codes for Infamous Second Son, Killzone Shadow Fall and The Last of Us: Remastered, all for the same MSRP of $399. The Last of Us Remastered […]

The method one Redditor possibly used to leak some details from Destiny’s House of Wolves was the same one he used to predict the inventory of Xur: Agent of the Nine. Last week, Reddit user Megamanexe4 leaked a few pieces of House of Wolves expansion content. The leaks included strikes, new Crucible mode, and a […]

Mortal Kombat X will be releasing on mobile devices in some form, just not the one you except. Mortal Kombat X is coming to Android and iOS devices as an extension of the main game. It will launch in April alongside the console versions. The mobile game will be part card collecting and part fighting […]

Kojima Productions will unveil something about Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain this Wednesday. Metal Gear Solid fans should standby for a Phantom Pain-related announcement on Wednesday, March 4. According to developer Kojima Productions’ Twitter, there’s going to be an announcement at 2pm GMT on Wednesday. The developer posted the following image. The image […]

We’d really appreciate it if you could fill in this survey about the websites you read and the games you buy. It massively helps! You can fill out the survey right here and obviously all the information you supply is confidential. It helps us build a better picture of the people who read our site […]

Battlefield Hardline’s Premium membership will give players access to 4 new features, early access to expansion packs and more. EA detailed the offer today – it costs $50 in total (£40 in the UK) and gives players a whole bundle of new gear and content. Check it all out in handy list form below: Masks […]

Voice actor and Hollywood writer David Hayter discusses the differences between movies and games. And politely declines my leading question. “It might be fun to do a crazy, over-the-top film version of Saint’s Row.” Yeah, that headline is a bit cheap but you’re reading the work of a man who once asked the maker of […]

Microsoft has knocked up to £100 off Xbox One bundles in the UK. The Xbox One with Kinect Assassin’s Creed bundle is now £100 cheaper and comes with a free £20 voucher to be spent on the official Microsoft online store. Over on the Xbox online store there’s a £70 price cut on the white […]

Free-to-play 3DS title Pokemon Shuffle has been downloaded over 1 million times. As a reward for playing the match-3 puzzle game Nintendo has gifted players a Complexity -1 item for free. The item reduces the difficulty of a level, according to Eurogamer. By all accounts Pokemon Shuffle is a cynical game with poorly implemented microtransactions. […]

FrozenByte Games has revealed Trine 3, due for release in 2015 And what better way to reveal a new side-scrolling adventure than with a very pretty trailer full of gameplay? The latest in a series that has already sold 7 million copies is earmarked for PC and “other” formats. Trine 2 released on PS3, PS3, […]

A month since it was released on digital platforms, Dying Light’s physical release has topped the UK charts. Techland and Warner’s zombie survival game has proven to be one of the big hits of the year so far. It was released on digital formats a month ago but has only just been released on good-old […]

Think you can take down a jet plane with a grenade throw? This guy can. In fact, he can do it twice. This is in a variation on the player-created deathmatch “Stunters Versus Snipers” which seem to be all the rage in GTA Online at the moment. One team has a sniper rifle (and grenades) […]

The Phantom Pain looks nice even when Kojima just takes a quick pic with his phone. Look at that beauty. We get nice reflection in pink at the first gray of dawn.
pic.twitter.com/aERTBoZT9z — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 2, 2015 The game doesn’t have a release date yet, which makes us a bit nervous for it […]

Dying Light still has legs – maybe because it’s crammed full of secret things to discover. Ten of those have been highlighted by TerraMantis’ latest YouTube video, including reference to the Underpant Gnomes, guitar lessons, farting zombies and well, we don’t want to spoil it for you. Even if you think you’ve seen everything in […]

Why blind ‘em with science when you could kill ‘em with dance moves? revelations raid When I say Resident Evil: Revelations 2‘s Raid Mode dance gestures are deadly, I’m not being figurative. If you finish the first chapter of Revelations 2 you can unlock Gina for use in Raid Mode. All characters can use gestures […]

“Male Inquisitors can now scale the wall,” says a clever Redditor. A new Dragon Age: Inquisition mod removes Blackwall’s romantic restrictions, allowing male Inquisitors to chat up the fuzzy-faced warrior. Blackwall doesn’t have any race preferences, so you’re good to go there. Dragon Age: Inquisition romance mods are pretty common by now, and to be […]

Destiny players willing to faff about with their system clock can solo the Weekly Nightfall if they prefer. The Weekly Heroic is one of Destiny‘s toughest challenges. Responding to player feedback Bungie implemented matchmaking for the Weekly Heroic, but there are players who genuinely prefer to go it alone. There’s now no legitimate way to […]

A Clayfighter remake is inbound, apparently. Interplay has announced a Clayfighter remaster, combining the content of all past games into one package. Features include: Characters such as Bad Mr. Frosty, Blue Suede Goo, Earthworm Jim, Hoppy, Boogerman, Tiny – and more with over 20 characters total Over 20 familiar environments from the series to duke […]

Dying Light players! Are you sick of picking your way carefully up the sides of tall towers? Have I got a trick for you. The parkour system in Dying Light is okay, but climbing anywhere especially high can be a bit tedious. Enter Jesse Lester, who took a look at the tools available and worked […]

Destiny developer Bungie won’t stop tinkering with Exotic weapons. In Destiny, Exotic weapons are supposed to be the best of the best – and to feel unique. Guns like Ice Breaker and Gjallahorn definitely hit the mark there (although less so when everyone has one), but unfortunately, there are a few that just don’t strike […]

Uncharted 4′s first proper trailer bears some remarkable similarities to the opening moments of a much earlier Naughty Dog game. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has more in common with Crash Bandicoot than you might think. It’s Naughty Dog’s first game on a new console, yes – but if you compare Uncharted 4′s E3 2014 […]

Sonic Team leader Takashi Iizuka has said there are no plans to stop making Sonic games. Sonic hasn’t retired from the ranks just yet. “Please rest assured, I personally have no plans to stop making Sonic games for home consoles,” Iizuka told 4Gamer [Japanese]. The comment arose after the site asked if Sonic would become […]

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones will soon be available on PlayStation platforms, if a trophy list is to be believed. Stealth Inc. 2 initially launched as a Wii U exclusive, disappointing fans of Curve Studios’ tough action game. We’ve heard nothing to contradict this, but Exophase, a generally reliable source, has dug up […]

Runescape developer Jagex is working on something new. According to Jagex’s careers page, the developer has a new, unannounced game in the works. Its advertisement for a lead programmer makes explicit mention of an “undisclosed MMO”. The ad mentions the new title is in “the preliminary stages of redefining the cross platform MMORPG genre” and […]

Destiny developer Bungie has said it will change the way Crucible rewards work. Destiny players are always complaining about the perfidy of RNGesus, but there’s one area where it particularly hurts: the Crucible. PvP players often receive nothing at all for excellent performances, and sometimes Guardians receive the best drops merely for logging in as […]

Azure Striker Gunvolt is getting a sequel. Azure Striker Gunvolt developer Inti Creates has confirmed that the sidescroller has been popular enough to warrant a second instalment. The sequel will also be released on 3DS, the team said on Facebook. Very little information is available at present, unfortunately. “As time goes on we will have […]

Life is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment has said the second episode is on track for release this month. I guess it would know. Life is Strange Episode 2 has been expected on March 13, but late last week Square Enix told Destructoid it had been delayed. Dontnod has since denied this report, describing it as […]

Job Simulator is the first game to be announced specifically for SteamVR, Valve’s virtual reality tech. Shoot Many Robots and Aaaaa! For the Awesome! developer Owlchemy Labs is the first team to put its hand up and say it’s worked with SteamVR. In a blog post, the studio unveiled Job Simulator, which will be playable […]

The first SteamVR announce is a headset a manufactured by HTC, the Taiwanese mobile company revealed over the weekend. Valve told us last week it planned to unveil virtual reality hardware at GDC, calling it “SteamVR” at the time. Now HTC has pre-empted Valve by revealing Vive, a headset developed thanks to a collaboration between […]

Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2K and Turtle Rock Studios have announced a tournament being hosted by ESL, which will see Evolve players take on newest movie robot, Chappie. The ESL has teamed up with Twitch for the live 4 on 1 competitive event, and you can watch as it all unfolds tomorrow, March 1 at 3pm […]

We haven’t heard much on Harebrained Schemes’ latest since it was announced in November, but today, the team has seen fit to release some interesting gifs of its a new project, Necropolis. Necropolis is a third-person action rogue-like with procedurally generated which can be “re-rolled mid-playthrough” and is headed to Linux, Mac and PC sometime […]

More Dragon’s Dogma Online screenshots have been released, and this batch is just as lovely as the last gallery we posted. Since this game will likely never leave Japan, the images are a bit of a salt rub for fans of the IP, but hopefully another entry in the series will be released at some […]

How would you like to become an agent of Death and rid the world of immortals? Then Death’s Gambit may just be the game for you. Announced by LA-based studio White Rabbit, the action-RPG with platforming elements tasks players with fighting gigantic enemies on an alien, medieval planet. Players will also encounter formidable beasts, knights, […]

PC users lamenting the lack of local, offline co-op in Resident Evil: Revelations 2 will be pleased to know a modder has remedied the omission. The mod, created by FluffyQuack, adds offline co-op mode to Episode 1 but the only caveat is players will need to use gamepads instead of mouse and keyboard (via Gamespot). […]